I've trained both Muay Thai and San Shou. I'm better suited to San Shou, I don't know why. After saying that though I like the fact that Muay Thai toughens their fighters up better than most San Shou fighters.

Either that or I never considered my training formal and exclusively Muay Thai.

Seriously when I originally put the first quote I'm like "Damn, maybe I should be more forth coming..." then I'm like "nah, nobody will bother with the difference".....then I saw the quote and I'm like "**** anal retentive asshole..."

I think head kicks work pretty good if you're in punching range, since your opponent isn't expecting it. Its used well in kyokushin, but then again they don't have head punches.

Yeah, the lack of head punching kind of nescessitates head kicking.
I feel like one of the problems in San Shou is that people still play for points too much, rather than trying to work towards a knockout, which is kinda nescessary if you want to be a striker in MMA. San Shou is getting away from the point playing more and more as it evolves, especially at the professional level, but it still seems like a lot of fighters would prefer to rack up points with big throws instead of trying to KO their opponent.

I don't know if I would agree with that, the bit about punching being better, specifically. Kicks generate a lot more power and in Kickboxing matches they hurt a lot more because your shins aren't covered by 12 ounces of padding. If you can score a clean, hard headkick chances are you will knock your opponent out. Although I guess the same could be said for a right cross.

Over here even the amateur level of MT is no shinpads or headgear, mouth-guard and instep protector only. I would never argue that kicks are not important, with my height i really should learn how to head kick better. What i would argue is that it is possible to get by with subpar kicking skills if you have good hands in western MT, but the opposite is not true. We have a few ex-pro boxers fighting in our gym with very ordinary kicks but good defense destroying a lot of the kicking competition.

Yeah, the lack of head punching kind of nescessitates head kicking.
I feel like one of the problems in San Shou is that people still play for points too much, rather than trying to work towards a knockout, which is kinda nescessary if you want to be a striker in MMA. San Shou is getting away from the point playing more and more as it evolves, especially at the professional level, but it still seems like a lot of fighters would prefer to rack up points with big throws instead of trying to KO their opponent.

I completly agree, I find that the schools (the ones I know of) encourage racking up points vs knockouts or damaging the opponent.